Murder Mystery Party For Beginners: How To Run One Properly

A murder mystery party is a dinner party where everyone has a secret and one person did it. Hosted well it's the best night of the year; hosted badly it's six people reading paragraphs at each other.

The difference is almost entirely in the preparation.

Kit or write your own

• For a first one, buy a kit. Downloadable kits give you character sheets, clues, a solution and a running order for a few pounds a head.
• Check the player count carefully - most kits have a fixed number of characters and some need exactly that many.
• Look for a kit with 'flexible' or 'expandable' casting if you're unsure who's coming.
• Boxed kits are prettier; downloads are cheaper and you can print more copies.
• Writing your own is a full weekend of work. Do it on your second or third, not your first.

Casting and inviting

• Send character assignments a week ahead so people can think about a costume, not the night before.
• Give the loudest people the characters with the most to hide, and quieter guests characters with a clear, easy secret.
• Never cast the murderer as someone who hates being the centre of attention - and don't tell anyone else who it is, obviously.
• Be clear in the invitation about the level of costume expected. 'A hat and a scarf' is a kinder instruction than '1920s'.
• Someone will drop out. Pick your kit knowing you might need to fold a character in, and read the kit's instructions for that in advance.

The running order

• Arrival and drinks, everyone in character, name badges with character names on.
• Round one before the food: the host reads the scene, everyone introduces their character out loud.
• The murder is announced, usually between the first and second course.
• Rounds two and three between courses - each round hands out new clues and lets people question each other.
• Accusations written down privately before the reveal, so everyone commits.
• The reveal, read by the host, then the murderer explains. Give them the floor - it's their moment.

Food, drink and the practical bits

• Cook something that sits in the oven. You cannot host and plate a starter at the same time.
• A buffet or a slow-cooked one-pot is the standard answer.
• Name badges, pens, and a printed clue envelope per round, labelled, in order.
• Music low, phones face down, and a clear 'we're in character now' moment at the start.
• Allow three hours. Four with a big group.

When it stalls

• If nobody's talking, the host asks direct questions in character - 'and where exactly were you at nine o'clock?'
• Give a mid-round nudge clue if two rounds have gone by with no accusations.
• One or two people will stay out of character all night. Let them. Don't make it awkward.
• Don't police accents or period detail. The plot is the game, not the performance.
• Take a group photo at the start, while everyone's still in the costume.

Shop cards

How to write it so it lands

• Buy a kit for your first one.
• Character sheets out a week early, not on the night.
• Cook something that sits in the oven.

Where to shop next

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• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

How do you host a murder mystery party for the first time?

Buy a kit rather than writing your own, send character sheets a week ahead, cook something that sits in the oven, and run it in rounds between courses with clue envelopes prepared in advance. Allow three hours.

How many people do you need for a murder mystery party?

Most kits are written for six to twelve. Check the exact count before buying, and choose a kit with flexible casting if you're not sure who's coming - someone always drops out.

How long does a murder mystery party take?

About three hours for six to eight people, closer to four for a bigger group. The rounds sit between courses, so it runs at the speed of dinner.

What if someone drops out of a murder mystery party?

Good kits include instructions for removing or combining characters - read that section before the day. Failing that, the host can read the missing character's key facts aloud as a letter or witness statement.

Do you have to dress up for a murder mystery party?

No, and saying so in the invitation gets more people to come. Suggest one item - a hat, a scarf, a tie - rather than a full costume, and everyone turns up.

Do you sell games, kits or party supplies?

No - we make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK. Everything recommended here is either free, an app, or something you already have, and the only products on this page are our own cards.